Eric's love for Erudite
by onyxsylph
Summary: Sofie is sure she will choose Erudite until she meets Eric.
1. Chapter 1

This story starts off a few months before the choosing ceremony.

Disclaimer: I am not Veronica Roth and I do not own Divergent.

ENJOY!

* * *

Jeannine greets Eric in the hallway on her way to a meeting. "This is my assistant Karen and she will show you to the lab where we've been working on the projects you've contracted with us. She is to help you with anything you need. Please stop by my office when you're done."

Karens walks with Eric in silence down to the labs. She's extremely uncomfortable with him but does her best to hide it. She's relieved when they finally enter the lab.

"This is the lab where we've been working on your projects. I'd like to introduce you to Sofie who has been heading this project." They both stare at a blonde haired girl sitting at a desk that's facing the wall. She is immersed in paperwork and seems to be oblivious to the fact that they're standing just a few feet behind her.

"Sofie?... Sof... I'm sorry... She must have her headphones in." Eric huffs in frustration as Karen walks over and sets her hand on Sofie's shoulder. Sofie doesn't appear to be startled as she reaches up to remove her right earpiece without looking up from her paperwork. "Yes?"

"Sofie would you have a moment to go over the Dauntless projects?"

"Can't we do that later? I'm sorta in the middle of something right now." Karen smiles nervously at Eric.

Sofie finally looks up from her work when Eric clears his throat. When she sees him standing there she jumps up. "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were coming today."

Eric sounding extra annoyed says "You forgot a Dauntless leader was coming for a visit?"

Sofie, trying to recover says "No... No...I just... didn't realize today...was today."

Eric huffs. "It's good to know the person heading our project is incompetent."

Sofie gives him a strained smile. "Well I promise you won't be disappointed with the project. There will be knives, blood, and guns." Sofie walks to another door and holds it open. "Shall we?"

After Eric walks through the doorway Sofie looks back at Karen. "If you want to wait here we won't be long."

Karen smiles at Sofie and mouths "Thank you." Sofie nods and closes the door before continuing.

"Eric, do you happen to have a knife?" Eric smirks and pulls a knife from his pocket. Sofie takes the blade from Eric and drags it across her hand causing a gash in her palm. Eric raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. Sofie hands the knife back and says "Thank you."

She walks to the sink and grabs some paper towels to soak up some of the blood running down her arm. Eric returns the knife to his pocket, crosses his arms and gives Sofie a curious look.

"Ok so this project was designed to help somone who is injured recover quickly. Once you have a wound you..." Sofie fumbles to reload a syringe. "Sorry. This will just take a second... "

"I'm happy to see you're well prepared." Eric says while Sofie loads the syringe

Sofie ignores his comment. "You inject this directly into the wound." She pushes the needle into the cut and holds her hand up for Eric to see.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.. Done." She walks over to the sink and rinses the blood from her hand and dries it. She turns and holds her hand up again. "As you can see the bleeding has ceased. Next we have to seal it." She grabs another device and squeezes one end while a blue paste comes out of the other end and she pushes it against the cut. "Put on however much you need to fill in the wound and wipe off the excess. The blue color will disappear when it has dried." She holds her hand up and counts to ten again while the blue paste turns clear. "Once clear the paste is like a second skin and the cut is sealed." She rubs her thumb over the wound to show the seal. "Feel it." She holds out her hand for Eric.

Eric grabs her hand and has a smile on his face as he roughly pushes his thumb into the wound. Sofie isn't phased. "The paste has disinfectant and a numbing agent. It also has an ingredient in it that promotes healing. The seal will stay in place for 3 to 5 days and the wound will heal twice as fast with it." She pulls her hand back.

"How does it work with deeper wounds like a gunshot?"

"We're still in the testing phase with the large wounds."

Eric huffs. "If you're still testing then why show this to me in the first place?"

Sofie is slighty annoyed by that but stays calm. "The injection is proven on slashes and smaller injuries... But if you aren't satisfied with it then I understand and we can revisit this later when we have more testing done."

Eric says nothing.

"If you follow me I'll show you the next part." She walks to a door at the end of the room and holds it open for Eric and follows him out. She leads him down a long hallway and into another room. This room has computers setup on one end and mannequins setup at the far end. She opens a case and pulls out a small gun.

"The gun we've been working on I think you'll find very intriguing. It weighs just a few pounds, is pretty compact, and has little to no kick. The round that's in it has the same effect on your assailant as a real bullet but without the damage. The pain subsides after just a few minutes. Would you like to try one?"

Eric takes the gun from Sofie and loads the magazine. "You want to stand down at the end? I'll aim for your leg." Eric smiles his cold smile.

Sofie gives him a half smile back. "That won't be necessary. The targets at the end are hooked up to these computers and once a bullet penatrates the target a reading is sent back to the computer showing the pain level for the spot you hit."

Eric takes aim and pops off a few rounds. All hit dead center in the chest of the mannequin. "Now if you look over here you can see the damage that would've been done if the target were a real person." Sofie walks over to a touch screen and shows Eric the different readings.

Eric smiles as Sofie looks at the computer screens and he sets a hand on her back. This startles Sofie and she turns around quickly and takes a step back. She hopes she did that smooth enough as not to offend him. He smirks. "Is there a problem?"

"No problem. Did you have any questions before we continue?"

Eric still with a smirk on his face asks "If we truly want to take someone down why would we be worried about them being injured?"

"It's the more humane way to immobilize someone."

"Clearly you have a lot to learn about Dauntless."

Sofie tries her best to not show her annoyance as she takes the gun from him and places it back in its case. "Did you have any other questions before we move on to the final project?"

"Yeah, is the final project better than the last two?"

"I guess we'll see." She then leads him out of the room and shows him to another room that has a different looking simulation chair in the center.

"This chair is the new and more efficient way to see inside a subject's simulation. As you can see no wires or electrodes are required for this one. The chair automatically reads a subject's vitals and sends them to that computer and once the subject is fully under the effects of the serum the chair will transmit the visual to this monitor. I've recorded a previous simulation to show you."

Sofie goes to the computer and with a few clicks a video pops up on the screen. "I understand that Dauntless work with fear serums so that is what we used for this test." A second later the video starts.

Eric walks closer to the screen. Sofie turns away.

A few minutes later when the video ends Eric turns to Sofie. "We'll take them."

Sofie gives Eric a confused look. "Them."

"Yeah. All of them. How soon can you have them delivered?"

"Oh, well I'll need a couple of days to get everything organized and packed."

Eric nods. "I'll expect you to delivery everything on Friday then."

"That won't be a problem. Jamie, another tech that's familiar with all of the projects, will deliver and setup everything for you."

Eric raises an eyebrow. "You're too good to deliver it to Dauntless yourself?"

Sofie fumbles again. "No... No. Not at all. It's not necessary that I be there.

"I insist."

"I haven't been through the choosing ceremony yet so it's inapropriate that I visit other factions on behalf of Erudite."

Eric sighs and walks towards Sofie. "Well you can either deliver everything to Dauntless yourself or I can tell Jeannine that we are no longer interested."

Sofie is shocked but nods. "I will be there."


	2. Chapter 2

Sofie and Alex pull up to the Dauntess compound in a large van. 3 Dauntless guards stand at the entrance. Alex turns to Sofie and asks "Do you want me to come in with you?"

Sofie smiles. "No. I think I can manage."

They both get out of the van and greet the guards. "Good morning. My name's Sofie and this is Alex."

One guard steps forward. "Yes. Eric's expecting you. I'll show you inside while they unload the equipment."

Sofie follows the Dauntless guard into the compound. The floor in the building is all glass and you can see down into a large area below filled with people. "Woah."

"You should see the chasm."

They walk through a crowd of Dauntless that all give her a strange look. She starts to feel self conscious as she looks down at her clothes. She's wearing a light blue dress with a white flower print, a white cardigan, and dark blue pumps. Normal attire for Erudite but she might as well have a spotlight on her here at Dauntless.

The guard shows her into a large room. "Wait here. Your equipment will be brought in." Without waiting for her to reply the guard walks back out of the door.

Sofie walks around the room looking at the wiring and outlets to make sure they're sufficient for her needs. As the two guards bring in the equipment Sofie starts to setup the computer and monitors. The simulation chair is brought in last. Eric follows it in. Sofie smiles but inside was hoping she would make it through the day without an encounter with Eric. She walks towards him and puts out her hand. "Good morning Eric. How are you today?"

Eric looks around the room ignoring her. After a moment he turns to her. "How long until everything's setup?"

"It'll be another hour. I have to setup the chair then calibrate it. We can run a test after that to make sure everything's working properly. Do you have someone in mind for the simulation?"

Eric nods his head. "Where's the new serum?"

Sofie points to a large case near the computer then turns back to the chair. "The new serum will allow the subject to be under a simulation without acting out the simulation. It's sorta like dreaming. Your mind is racing but your body stays still. " Eric loads the serum into a syringe and sets it on the table.

A little over an hour later Sofie announces that everything is ready and they can do a test. She looks around the room and notices it's empty except for Eric and herself. She turns back to the computer and pretends to double check the wires to keep from letting her anxiety show. "Who will be going under the serum?"

Eric smiles. "I think it's best that uh..." He walks up behind her and wraps his arm around her waist pulling her against him. She freezes. "You do." He injects the serum into her neck.

"Eric what the hell?" Sofie struggles against him.

"Calm yourself. You can't fight the serum. You need to focus on fighting your fears." Eric sets her in the chair before continuing. "Fight the fear or find a way to relax."

A moment later the serum takes over and Sofie is out.

Eric walks over to the screen to watch the simulation. A few fears into the simulation Four walks in.

He eyes up Eric then Sofie then back to Eric. "What's going on?"

Eric answers without looking away from the monitors. "Testing out the new simulation equipment."

"On an Erudite? ... She volunteered for this?"

"Of course not."

Four lets out a deep breath to try to contain his frustration and walks over to the monitors to make sure she's doing ok. "How's she managing?"

"Surprisingly well."

They watch 5 more fears in silence. When the last fear is over Sofie springs forward in her chair and has trouble catching her breath. Eric takes a step towards her but Four rushes over and puts a hand on each shoulder. "You're ok... Look at me... You're ok. Just breathe." Sofie looks into Four's eyes as she calms herself.

Four helps Sofie up. She is still shaking.

Sofie tries to hide her fear and rage when she turns to eric. "So how did the video look?... Was it satisfactory?"

"Everything seems to be adequate." Eric says with no emotion in his voice.

"Good. Do you require anything else before I leave?"

"No. We should be good. If we need anything we'll call." Eric gives her a smile.

Sofie swallows hard. "Great." She turns to Four. "Would you mind walking me out?"

Four nods and follows her out of the room.

Sofie's hands are still shaking as they walk down the hallway. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sofie. What's your name?

"Four" He says while looking straight ahead.

"That's... an interesting nickname. You'll have to let me in on the story behind that one sometime."

Four glances over at her and notices she's still shaking. "You ok?"

"Oh yeah. I'm great." Sofie says with sarcasm and a smile.

Four puts his hand on her shoulder. "You did well in there you know."

"Yeah, sure. For an Erudite."

"You did better than most Dauntless. You know how you had 8 fears in you simulation?"

Sofie looks down at the floor and nods.

"Well 10 to 15 is the average. Not many get under 10."

"Really? How many did you have?"

"Four" he answers as they walk out of the compound. Sofie smiles.

Four glances around in front of them with a confused look. "Where's your ride?"

Sofie looks frantically at the empty road in front of them. "I don't... He was... He should be here."

"I sent your ride away."

They both look back at the door to see Eric standing there.

Sofie has trouble holding in her anger "What? Why?"

"I told him I'd take you back when you were done."

"And he just left? He wouldn't do that."

Eric shrugs. "He couldn't get out of here quick enough."

Sofie sighs. "Ok. So now what?"

Eric starts to walk away from the building. "Ever catch a train?"

Sofie looks over at Four. "Is he serious?"

He nods. "Unfortunately." Four begins to follow Eric.

Eric looks back. "Don't you have somewhere else to be Four?"

Four pauses and glances to Sofie with a hint of concern on his face. "Don't forget... She's not dauntless." He turns to walk back to the building.

Once Four is out if sight Eric looks to Sofie. "Come on... Unless you want to walk the whole way back."

Sofie takes a deep breath and follows.


	3. Chapter 3

Once on the platform at the top of a building Sofie looks over the edge and begins to panic. She closes her eyes and steps back. She tries to control her breathing.

Eric grabs her chin. "You can either face your fears or live your life running from them."

He steps to the edge and holds out his hand. "Come on. I'll even be nice and help you."

Under her breath Sofie says "Somehow that doesn't make me feel better."

Eric smiles. "What was that?"

Sofie takes his hand and looks him in the eye. "You heard me."

Eric laughs and spins her around causing her breath to catch. "Get ready to run."

Sofie glances back and can see the train coming in the distance. Panic hits her again. "Eric! I can't!"

He grips her arms and pushes her forward so she begins to run. "Go!"

Sofie takes off as fast as she can. The front of the train begins to pass them when they are halfway down the platform. Eric grabs onto the train and hits a button opening the door then he reaches out for Sofie. Sofie loses her footing just before they reach the end of the platform but Eric grabs her firmly by the waist. Sofie cries out as she looks several stories down to the ground quickly flying by. Eric tosses her onto the train before hopping in himself. Sofie curls up on the floor of the train as she struggles to catch her breath. Eric kneels behind her and begins to place a hand on her arm but stops himself. He pushes himself back to lean against the wall and lets out a breath.

10 minutes pass in silence before Sofie pushes herself off the floor and against the wall of the train. She keeps her eyes away from Eric embarrassed and angry but Eric's gaze hasn't left her.

Sofie swallows her pride. "Thank you." She finally says looking down the train.

"Thank you?" Eric questions.

Sofie turns to him. "For not letting me fall."

Eric gives her a small smile. "You weren't in any danger."

"Tell that to my shoe." Sofie looks down at her feet and sees one shoe is missing.

"I didn't like those shoes anyway. You'd do better in boots." ... _"You'd do better in Dauntless."_ he thinks to himself.

They spend the rest of the ride in silence.

After 20 minutes Eric walks over to Sofie and kneels in front of her. Sofie raises an eyebrown. Eric smiles as he reaches down and removes her remaining shoe and tosses it across the train. "Time to go." He grabs her hand and pulls her up and over to the door.

"The jump off will be a bit easier. We'll be landing on a a slight hill of grass. You'll keep from falling if you run when you land."

Sofie nods and looks towards the front of the train. She is relieved to see her home faction and is ecstatic to see they're very low to the ground now. She's hoping Eric is right and the jump off is easier than the jump on.

"One, two, three..." Sofie jumps first and a second later Eric jumps.

When Sofie's feet hit the ground she tumbles forward and her hands and knees scrape off the ground as she rolls.

Eric walks over to her. "I told you to run."

Sofie looks up at him from her spot on the ground. "Yeah well it's not like the fall was planned." She looks down at the blood coming from her hands and knee.

"That'll hurt in the morning."

"The morning? It hurts right now."

"Erudites... So damn weak." Eric puts out his hand for her to grab.

Sofie slaps his hand away and pushes herself up. Eric frowns.

Once standing Sofie brushes her dress off and steels herself as she turns to Eric. "Would you like for me to arrange for your transportation back to Dauntless?" She says in an uppity Erudite voice that Eric hates.

Eric isn't sure what put her in a sour mood but knows if he stays he'll end up punching her if she insists on acting like that. This is not the side of Sofie he enjoys. "That won't be necessary." He abruptly turns and walks away following the tracks.

Sofie breathes a sigh of relief as he walks away and she turns to go home.

Eric follows the tracks just long enough to be sure she isn't watching then he turns down an alley. He follows the alley to the end then stops and waits. He watches from the shadows as Sofie walks barefoot down the sidewalk with blood dripping from her knee. He feels a twinge of guilt for letting her fall when they jumped from the train. He normally couldn't care less about an Erudite but she peaked his interest. She was very brave during her fear simulation. Most non-Dauntless would've curled up in a ball and cried after being forced to face their fears but not Sofie. She even recovered quicker than most Dauntless-born.

Eric follows her from a safe distance when she turns a corner. He smiles as he pictures her in Dauntless clothing and tattoos. "_Much better_" he thinks.

He decides then that he'll make a Dauntless out of her. He convinces himself that he's doing it to help her. To help her see who she truly is. Right now she's smothered with Erudite... She just needs help to see the Dauntless underneath.

He needs to get her back to the compound but he knows she won't come back to Dauntless willingly. He'll have to think of something.

Sofie finally disappears into a building. He takes comfort in knowing she made it home safely... Relatively speaking

"_See you soon Erudite." _ He turns and walks back to the tracks.


	4. Chapter 4

Eric stands at the entrance with the guards waiting for Sofie to arrive. He comes over to the car with his hand out to open the door but Sofie pushes the door open almost hitting him. "Hello Eric. Shall we?" She doesn't bother to shake his hand this time and walks past him towards the entrance.

"In a hurry?" He asks while trying to catch up. She ignores him as she continues through the door. She's not in the mood for his crap today. She would be curled up in her bed right now if it weren't for him. She has a killer migraine and is exhausted from far too many hours in the lab. She just wants to get the chair fixed quickly so she can get out of there.

Once in the large simulation room Sofie goes right to the computer and finally speaks. "What's the problem?"

"We can't get the chair to turn on. We tried using it the day after..."

Sofie interrupts "Yeah I got it. Thanks."

Eric raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. He crosses his arms and leans up against the wall. He's never see her like this before. Watching her openly have an attitude is entertaining. He struggles to keep his smile from showing.

After a few minutes of looking through the software Sofie turns her attention to the chair. After just a moment she finds a wire that was pulled out. She puts it back in and the chair turns on. Sofie is immediately enraged at the thought of Eric screwing with her again and quickly stands to confront him.

"What the hell is this?! Your tech couldn't find a simple wire that wasn't plugged in?! Are Dauntless really that incompetent?!"

Eric was smiling at first but now holds a straight face as he walk towards her. "Sofie you better..."

Sofie interrupts again. "Eric I don't appreciate you wasting my time! I'm done! If you need further help then get someone else!"

Sofie rushes for the door but Eric has no intention of letting her leave that easily. He grabs her arm roughly and yanks her to him. "Careful Sofie. Don't forget you're speaking to a leader." He says in a low voice that's almost a growl.

"You're not my leader Eric!" Sofie spits the words at him.

Eric smirks. "Not yet but if you want to have a chance here in Dauntless you'll remember your place."

"What the hell are you talking about? I would never choose Dauntless!"

Eric is getting ready to lay into her when Sofie winces. He immediately loosens his grip on her arm and looks over her for a sign of what caused the pain. He notices then that she's pailer than normal and her eyes are red. His anger subdides quickly. "Sofie what's wrong?"

Sofie ignores the question and struggles against him. "Get off me!"

He yells to try to get her to focus. "SOFIE!"

She winces again from the sharp pain in her head and squeezes her eyes shut. Eric becomes concerned. "Come on." He scoops her up into his arms and carries her out of the room. Sofie pushes against him. "Put me down!"

Eric doesn't respond to her struggles. After a minute Sofie begins to feel light headed and stops struggling. With no other option she rests her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes. He carries her into his apartment and sets her on the bed. He says in a low voice "Stay". He returns a moment later with an unlabeled bottle of pills and water. "Take one."

"Screw you!" Sofie bolts for the door but Eric grabs her and pulls her down.

Her butts on the floor with Eric behind her. He grabs her chin with one hand and grabs the bottle of pills with the other. Sofie struggles but he's too strong and she can't free herself. He shoves a pill in her mouth and covers her mouth with his hand so she can't spit it out as he grabs for the bottle of water. He removes his hand just enough to pour some water in. He puts his hand back over her mouth and pinches her nose so she'll have to swallow or suffocate. Sofie struggles at first but gives in quickly.

Once the pill is down he lets go and she drops to the floor coughing. "What the hell is your problem?" she manages to get out between breaths.

Eric stands. "_My_ problem? You're the one acting like a bitch since you got here."

Sofie struggles to stand and starts toward the door. Two steps in she gets light headed again and looses her balance. Eric catches her. "Where do you think you're going?"

She pushes against him. "I'm going home. Let me go!"

"You're not going anywhere!"

"I'm Erudite. You can't stop me!"

"You take one step out that door and I'll have you arrested."

"For what?"

Eric smiles. "I'll come up with something."

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me. Now lay down and I'll be back later." Eric turns and leaves the room leaving Sofie in shock.

The pill starts to kick in a moment later leaving it difficult for Sofie to stand. She eyes up the bed but is uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in Eric's bed so she goes for the couch. She curls up on the end with a rolled up sweatshirt under her head and closes her eyes.

Meanwhile Eric makes his way to the gym. There are several people working out and he gives them a look. They all leave the room without question. Eric removes his shirt and turns to the punching bags. "_What the hell is wrong with that girl! I'm trying to help her and you'd think I was trying to kill her by the way she reacted! Why couldn't she just tell me that she wasn't feeling well! Damn Erudite!"_

A couple hours pass and by the time Eric's done the bag is covered in blood from his split knuckles. He drops to his knees gasping for air.

"You seem extra pissed off today. What's got your panties in a bunch?"

Eric looks over to the door to see Four standing there. Eric rolls his eyes then grabs his shirt and stands. "None of your business Four."

"Yeah? Someone told me they saw you carrying an Erudite to your apartment. Is it the same one from last week?"

"Like I said. None of your business."

"Get your head on straight! You trying to start a faction war?"

Eric smiles. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You need to get her out of here!"

Eric walks towards Four. "Last I checked I don't take orders from you Four." He shoves him out of the way and leaves the gym.

When Eric gets to his apartment he slowly opens the door trying not to make any sound. When he steps in he sees Sofie curled up on the couch. "_Damn Erudite. Talk about stubborn."_

He walks over to the couch and sits on the edge of the coffee table. He gently brushes a strand of hair out of her face. She looks peaceful. He smiles.

After a few minutes of watching her he notices goosebumps on her arm. He quickly gets up to get a blanket. Just before putting it on her he stops. "_What are you doing?"_ He asks himself. "_You're getting soft." _ He tosses the blanket to the other end of the couch and walks for the door.

With his hand on the doorknob he stops. With a huff he turns back to the couch and gently lays the blanket over her. "_Damnit Eric. What's gotten into you?"_

With that he turns and leaves the apartment.

At the sound of the door shutting Sofie opens her eyes. In a groggy voice she calls out "Eric?"

She glances around the apartment but sees no one. Then she notices the blanket on her. She lays her head back down and smiles. Her heart races thinking about Eric. He drives her mad but there are moments where he's almost sweet. This makes her wonder what he's like behind the wall he puts up. She wonders if she'll get the chance to find out.


	5. Chapter 5

When Sofie finally wakes the room is dark except for one dim light in the corner. She pushes herself up and rubs her eyes to clear her vision.

"Eric?" she whispers.

"I'm here." Sitting in a chair to the side of the couch Eric reaches over and turns on a light that's on the end table. Sofie braces for the pain from the migraine and is relieved to find it's gone. "You ok?"

"Yeah I think so."

"You've been out half the day. One more hour and I was going to take you to the infirmary."

"Well that won't be necessary." Sofie glances around the room for a clock but sees none. "What time is it?"

"Almost 7."

"7?" Sofie sighs ".. I should be going." She pushes the blanket to the side and stands.

Eric holds out is hand to stop her. "No, I think you should stay put for a bit longer. Sit."

Realizing she still feels a bit out of it she doesn't argue and sits back down. She pulls the blanket back over her lap.

As Eric stands and walks to the kitchen Sofie asks "Is all of Dauntless so cold?"

Eric smiles and simply says "Yes"

He comes back a few minutes later with a sandwich and a drink. "Here. You need to eat." Sofie nods and takes the plate. Eric sets the glass on the end table before sitting down next to her on the couch. "You could've taken the bed you know."

"It just didn't feel right." Eric sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

Sofie watches him while she picks away at her sandwich. "What's with the long hair and all the piercings?"

Eric gives her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"It just seems like you're trying really hard not to look like an Erudite."

Eric raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I don't think we ever met but I remember you from school. You had short hair then. I liked the short hair." Eric smiles and thinks back to school before Dauntless trying to remember her. He's drawing a blank.

When Sofie is done with her sandwich she sets the plate on the coffee table and Eric hands her the glass. Sofie hesitates before drinking. "What's in it?"

"What? Don't trust me?"

"No not particularly." Sofie smiles.

Eric smiles in return. "Good."

While she finishes her drink Eric gets up and walks to the bedroom. He returns with a hoodie and puts it over her head without asking. "Eric!" She says in a laugh.

"Don't want you to be cold. Come on. Let's go get some dessert."

Sofie sets down the glass and smiles as she slips her arms into the hoodie. Eric lets out a light chuckle when she stands. She's wearing navy blue dress boots, light blue tights, and the hoodie completely swallows her dark blue dress so it can't be seen.

Eric leads her through the pit. She is amazed at how many people are in that area and a little uncomfortable too. She stays real close to Eric and lightly grabs his arm when they go through a denser part of the crowd so she won't lose him. Eric looks down at her and holds back a smile.

As they enter the cafeteria Sofie is comforted to see it's mostly empty. Eric leads her to an empty table at the end and Sofie takes a seat.

"I'll be right back." Eric says as he walks away from the table. He returns a moment later with one piece of chocolate cake and sets it in front of Sofie. "Here you go... I'm sorry but I have something I have to tend to." Sofie gives him a nervous look at the thought of him leaving her there alone. Eric sets a hand on her back. "I won't be long. Stay here." Sofie nods and Eric leaves the room.

As she eats her cake she looks around the room. She makes eye contact with a guy sitting a few tables over and she gives him a polite smile. The guy gives her a smirk then turns to talk to his two friends.

A moment later they get up and come over to her table and sit down without saying anything. One on each side of her sitting a little too close and one acrossed from her. All with a smile. "You look out of place here Erudite. Get lost?" The one to her right asks.

"I uh..." Sofie glances to the door hoping to see Eric but he's not there.

"Cat got your tongue? You too good to talk to us?" The one across from her asks.

"I'm sorry. I... have to go." Sofie tries to stand but the guy on her right grabs her wrist and pulls her back down.

"What's your hurry?" He says with a smile.

"Alec!" Someone yells out from behind them. The guy releases his grip from her wrist and Sofie turns her head to see Four standing behind them. "Come with me." He holds out his hand and she eagerly takes it and pulls herself from the table.

"What are you doing in Dauntless?" He asks as they leave the cafeteria with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Eric called for me. He said he needed me to fix the new simulation chair."

"And did you?"

She shrugs. "I guess. There really wasn't anything to fix. It was just an unplugged wire."

"If your task is done then why haven't you gone back to Erudite?"

"Oh... well I uh... Eric sort of... um..." Sofie pauses to think. "I wasn't feeling well and Eric offered me a place to rest."

"Just like that?" Four gives her a look of doubt.

"Mostly." Sofie hears a strange sound in the distance. "Four... What's that?"

Four smiles. "Follow me. I'll show you." He leads her towards the chasm. "Close your eyes."

Sofie looks at him with curiosity and smiles before obliging. He leads her from behind and stops her on the chasms edge. He keeps his hands firm on her arms. "Now."

She opens her eyes and gasps. "Oh, wow. Four! This is amazing!" She smiles from ear to ear at the sight of the underground river.

Eric walks up slowly behind them watching as they interact. He feels a small bit of jealousy though he's not sure where it comes from.

"Four..." He says annoucing his presence. "I've got it from here. You can go back to whatever you were doing."

Sofie turns to Four before he leaves. "Hey, thanks for..." Sofie glances to Eric then back to Four. "...showing me the chasm." Four nods then walks off.

Eric walks closer to Sofie. "I thought I told you to stay in the cafeteria."

"You did but... Four showed up and offered to show me the chasm. I didn't think you'd mind. Was that wrong?"

Eric pauses to think. She's acting strange and he wonders what she's leaving out. He decides on watching the cameras later to see what's really going on. "It's fine... Let's get you back to Erudite."

Once on the platform's edge Sofie starts to get nervous again thinking about the last time she tried to get on the train. Tonight she fears will be even worse. She still feels a little unstable from the pill Eric gave her earlier.

Eric sees the panic she's trying to hide and wraps his arms around her from behind to try to comfort her. "I've got you. You're ok... You're safe with me." He whispers the last part.

After a moment Eric can hear the train coming and announces "Ok... Remember... Just like before." He loosens his grip on her and they both turn to see the train.

Sofie braces herself and begins to run. Eric runs right behind her with his arm out near her in case she loses her balance. Eric grabs onto the train and opens the door like he did before and he holds out his hand for Sofie. She doesn't grab his hand and instead grabs onto the train and pulls herself in. Eric smiles before jumping onto the train himself.

"You're getting better."

"Well if you're going to insist I take the train then I guess I have no choice." She smiles up at him from her seated position.

Eric glances at the door and back to her. "Come on." He motions for her to come to the door. She stands and walks over as he opens the door and has a seat on the edge with his feet hanging out. He looks at her and pats the floor next to him.

"I'll get pulled out." She looks at him with concern.

He shakes his head. "Not if I hold you."

She grabs his hand and slowly sits. He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her close. She leans into him and rests her head against his neck. Eric is startled by this but instead of pulling away he just tightens his grip. He turns his head towards her and puts his lips to her head. He closes his eyes and just enjoys the feel of her against him.

"Eric?... Erudite's coming up." Sofie pulls away slightly and Eric opens his eyes. He blinks a few times trying to figure out how they got there so quick.

He stands up pulling her up with him. "You remember how to get off?"

Sofie smiles. "Run and don't fall."

"You won't fall this time... I promise."

"You don't have to jump with me. I can manage."

"I'm sure you can." There's no way he's going to let her jump herself and he also isn't ready to let her go.

The jump off goes much smoother and they both land upright.

"You're really getting the hang of this train thing. It'll make your transition to Dauntless much easier." Sofie rolls her eyes and playfully pushes Eric away. "Sofie I'm serious."

"Eric, you know I don't belong in Dauntless."

"Yes you do." He grabs her hand and she lets him. They walk hand in hand in silence to her apartment building.

"Well thank you kind sir for walking me home." Sofie says while smiling at Eric.

"I had to make sure you were safe." Eric pulls her hand up to his lips and kisses it. "Goodnight Sofie." He turns to leave.

"That's it?" She laughs.

He turns around looking confused. "What?"

She walks over to him. "You trick me into coming to Dauntless, you drag me to your room, you drug me, you hold me close the whole way back, and now you're not even going to kiss me?"

Eric swallows hard. He's rarely nervous but he is right now. Sofie grabs his shirt and pulls him down to her not waiting for him to respond. She pushes her lips into his and wraps her arm around his neck. He puts one hand into her hair and one on her waist pulling her tightly into him as he kisses her back.

They kiss deeply for a long while before Sofie pulls back for air. She smiles. "Much better."

"Sofie?" They both look to see Karen, Jeannine's assistant, standing in the doorway to the building. Sofie immediately steps away from Eric. "Sofie, Jeannine would like to see you as soon as possible." Sofie nods and Karen walks back into the building.

"Goodnight Eric."

"Goodnight Sofie. See you soon."

Sofie gives him a weak smile and quckly rushes into the building.

Eric walks slowly back to the train. His heart aches for Sofie. This is a new and unusual feeling for him. He has of course dated in the past but they never meant anything but a good time to him. He has never worried about a girl before and never yearned for her once she was gone. He only has a little time left before the choosing ceremony. He prays it's enough time to convince her to make Dauntless her home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I posted an update. **

**I think I've finally decided where I'm going with the story.**

**Please send over comments so I know if you're still interested.**

**Thanks!**

**-MS**

* * *

"M'am? You wanted to see me?" Sofie asks as she walks into Jeannine's home office.

"Where have you been?" Jeannine asks without looking up from her work.

"You sent me to the Dauntless compound m'am."

"I sent you to the Dauntless compound early this morning."

"Yes m'am. I was there all day. Eric... he... kept me busy. I just got back."

Jeannine finally looks up from her work then raises an eyebrow. "Sofie, what on earth are you wearing?"

Sofie becomes nervous when she realizes she's still wearing Eric's sweatshirt. It's unacceptable to wear another faction's colors not to mention Jeannine believes sweatshirts look sloppy. "Oh... I'm so sorry m'am. This is Eric's. The Dauntless compound was cold so Eric gave me this to wear while I was there. I forgot to give it back."

Jeannine leans back in her chair and taps her fingers on the armrest. "Please remember that when you visit other factions you are representing all of Erudite. You must look your best even if it means a small amount of discomfort to you."

Sofie looks down to the floor. "Yes m'am."

Jeannine looks back to her work. "Off to bed with you. Tomorrow you will need to put in extra hours to make up for what you missed today."

Sofie replies with another "Yes m'am" before hurrying out of the room.

...

Over the next two weeks Sofie tries to find reasons to go back to the Dauntless compound but nothing sticks. She even thought about insisting that returning the sweatshirt to Eric would be the only polite thing to do but Jeannine isn't buying it. Instead of letting her go to Dauntless she keeps her busy with other projects in the lab.

One evening when she's done in the lab she quickly changes and runs as fast as she can away from the Erudite headquarters not looking back. Sofie runs through the streets wearing a long sleeve skin tight powder blue shirt, navy blue skin tight pants, and blue tennis shoes. Her long blonde hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail and she has her ear buds in.

She ignores the people on the sidewalk giving her confused looks as she runs past only focusing on the road. She struggles to keep her mind from wondering to Eric.

After several blocks her path meets up with the train tracks and she follows them while the headquarters fades behind her.

The ground is black from the lack of light but she has traveled this path so often she knows it by heart.

Sofie starts towards a dead end but instead of stopping she jumps and climbs up and over the wall.

She continues down the alley ignoring the burning in her lungs.

After a few more minutes she slows to a stop and rests her hands on her knees as she tries to catch her breath.

Sofie yells out when someone tackles her from behind.

Eric laughs at her fright pinning her to the ground.

"Eric? What the hell?! What are you doing here?" She yells out in between breaths.

Eric smiles and pulls her up. "I was riding the train when I saw you running."

"The train? ... Why did you stop?"

Eric smiles then wraps his arm around the small of her back pulling her in for a kiss

After just a short moment Sofie pulls back from the kiss and pushes against his chest.

She gives him a weak smile then turns and runs off down the street

"Where are you going?" Eric yells after her.

"I'm finishing my run... You coming?" She says with a smile.

Eric immediately follows

They both run the next 20 minutes in silence.

"Sofie, you're getting to the edge of the Erudite border." Eric warns.

"I know." She says continuing on her path.

Curious Eric asks "Why would you go so far from the safety of the headquarters?"

"It's quiet out here. Not many travel the borders."

"You do this often?"

"A few times a week at least. Running helps me clear my head and it helps me sleep."

"I have some more pills if you want help with that." Eric smiles and nudges her side.

"No thanks! ... I just need to wear myself down to clear my head. Running's the best way I've found. It's better than those stupid pills of yours."

He grins. "Well if you don't want the pills then I know of another way to wear you down."

"What? Like a Dauntless workout?"

"Not quite." Eric grabs her and throws her over his shoulder then carries her into an abandoned building

"Eric!" She yells out while laughing.

He sets her on an empty table at the end of the room and pulls her close.

"Eric... I don't..."

He leans down and puts his lips to her ear. "You know what Erudites do too much of?...Talk."

Sofie smiles and says nothing.

He removes his jacket then pulls her in for a kiss.

He pulls back for a second to remove his shirt then lays his jacket and shirt on the floor

He pulls her in for another kiss before picking her up and laying her down on his jacket

Sofie laughs at his pathetic attempt at comfort

He gently lays down on top of her. "What I wouldnt give to have you back in my apartment right now." He says while running a hand through her hair.

She caresses his cheek. "I dont see that happening anytime soon."

Eric smiles. "Not for a few more months anyway."

She pushes him back. "I'm not joining Dauntless." She sits up and removes her shirt then lays back down.

"That sounds like a challenge. So, what would..."

Sofie rolls her eyes then interrupts him."Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"Your Erudite's showing." She puts a finger over his lips. " Less talking please."

He smiles then grabs her pants and yanks them off.

...

"Eric, I can make it back on my own. I travel these streets often."

He wraps his arm around her as they walk down the street towards her apartment. "I'd feel better if I saw you to your door. Do you have a problem with that?"

Sofie smiles and shakes her head no.

Eric and Sofie walk back to her apartment building in silence and spend the elevator ride with her tightly in his arms.

The elevator dings and they both sigh as they pull apart. He follows her out of the elevator and down the hall.

"I thought you were going home." He asks as she puts a key in the door.

Sofie gives him a confused look.

"Sofie, this is Jeannines apartment. Are you at her beck and call even this late at night?"

"I'm available whenever she needs me."

Eric frowns. "I was hoping to see where you live."

Sofie looks between him and the door then motions to the door.

"Here? ... You live here?" Eric asks shocked.

"Of course. Where else would I live?"

"Wait... So... She's your..."

She nods and laughs. "Seriously Eric. What the hell are you on?"

Eric's face turns angry. "Don't you think thats something you shouldve told me earlier?!"

"I thought you knew!"

"Of course I didnt know! If I had I wouldnt have..."

Sofie is immediately offended. "You wouldn't have slept with me if you knew I was her daughter?! Thats just great Eric!"

"Its not worth the..."

She slaps him across the face. "Screw you." She runs into the apartment and quickly but quietly closes the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Sofie eagerly waits outside of the Erudite headquarters for the Dauntless leaders to show up for their meeting with Jeannine. It's been a week since she was with Eric and though she is still mad about how it played out she still wants the chance to talk to him about it.

She looks over at the clock on the wall then back to the direction of the tracks. She stands up and smiles when she finally sees Max in the distance but then quickly frowns when she sees it's not Eric that accompanies him.

When they get closer to the building Max notices Sofie and nods. She puts on a smile and walks over. "Good morning Max. It's great to see you." She offers out her hand.

Max firmly shakes her hand. "Good morning Sofie. You didn't have to come out to greet us."

"I was out here already getting some fresh air when I saw you." She glances to the other guy.

"This is Jason. He is one of the other Dauntless leaders."

"Hello Jason. It's nice to meet you." She shakes his hand then turns back to Max. "Eric wasn't able to make it today?"

"No" is all he says.

Sofie hides a frown and just nods.

"Well, we should be heading in. Wouldn't want to be late."

"Of course sir. It was great seeing you again... Nice meeting you Jason."

They both nod then head into the building.

Sofie's smile disappears when they enter the building. She glances back towards the tracks then turns and walks towards a side entrance to the building.

...

"Please bring up the video of the Erudite headquarters." Eric says standing in front of a group of monitors.

The guy sitting in front of the computer quickly complies. In just a few short clicks the Erudite headquarters is visible on the monitors. Eric scans the different screens until he sees what he's looking for.

He then points to one of the screens. "Bring that one up on the main screen and zoom in. The tech complies. "Now get out." The tech quickly stands and exits the room.

Eric walks closer to the large monitor and sighs. He watches as Sofie sits in front of the headquarters looking in the direction of the tracks.

Four walks up behind him and watches for a moment before speaking. "Eric, what are you doing?"

"Whatever I want."

Four rolls his eyes. "If you wanted to see her why didn't you go with Max to the meeting?"

"That's none of your business Four."

"You've been here every day watching her on these monitors. You've made it my business."

Eric says nothing.

Four walks to the other end of the room and pulls something out of a drawer then walks back to Eric. "Here." He hands Eric a tablet.

"What's this?"

"This is setup with the exterior cameras around Erudite."

"Why would you give this to me?"

"I don't condone stalking but I want you out of my control room."

Eric nods then walks out.

...

Back in his apartment Eric sits on the couch with the tablet on his lap. He watches as Max and Jason jump from the train and sees Sofie frown when she sees them.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door. Eric doesn't move and doesn't glance up from the screen. The door opens and a girl walks in. She's 5' 7" with long black hair and has a thin but athletic build.

"Eric?"

"Not now. I'm busy." He says still not looking up.

"Four told me he gave you that." She sits on the couch close to Eric and looks at the video. "And here I was hoping to find you watching something interesting."

Eric doesn't say anything.

"Did you screw her?"

Erics looks up from the tablet after Sofie walks into the building and off camera. "What do you want Tia?"

She smiles then leans in and kisses his neck and rubs his thigh. "I'm feeling a little neglected Eric. Why don't you put that down and give me some much needed attention?"

"Tia, I'm busy."

"You can't screw the tablet Eric." She grabs the tablet out of his hands and sets it on the coffee table then stratles him. She leans in for a kiss but he turns his head. She frowns.

"Tia, I said I'm busy."

"Who is she anyway?"

"She's Jeannine's daughter. I'm just making sure she's safe."

"Jeannine gave you this job?"

"Not quite."

"So you screw then stalk her daugher without her knowing. That's not smart Eric."

Eric grabs her waist and pushes her off of him.

"What do you think Jeannine's going to do if she finds out about you two?"

"She's not going to find out. I have no intention of seeing Sofie again."

"What if she chooses Dauntless?"

"She won't."

"You better hope not." Tia stands and walks out of the apartment.

Eric picks up the tablet and leans back into the couch.


	8. Chapter 8

"Sofie are you ok?" Jeannine asks through the bathroom door.

"Yes I'm fine." Sofie says with her head still hovering over the toilet.

"I have to leave for the office. Make sure you're not late for school and come to the lab directly after. Understand?"

"Yes m'am. I'll be there."

Sofie leans against the wall with a towel over her mouth trying to keep herself from throwing up again. She stays this way for several minutes until she's sure her stomach is calm.

"Come on sofie. Pull yourself together." She whispers out loud as she pulls herself off of the floor.

She stands and looks in the mirror. She's covered in sweat, her mascara is running down her face, her eyes are blood shot, and she has large bags under her eyes.

She quickly jumps in the shower to clean up.

There's a knock on the door. "Sofie? It's Karen. Jeannine asked me to stop by to make sure you make it to school on time. Can I help you with anything?"

Sofie sighs and turns off the water. "No Karen. I'm fine."

"Ok, well I'm just gonna wait out here for you."

Sofie steps out of the shower and dries off quickly. She wraps a towel around herself before opening the bathroom door.

Karen is waiting in the hallway with a smile on her face. "I picked out an outfit for you to wear. Why don't you sit in front of the mirror and I'll do your hair."

"Karen just because I'm not feeling well doesn't mean I need help getting ready." Sofie says with a half smile.

"I know... I'd just hate for you to be late again. You know how Jeannine dislikes tardiness. "

"I know I know. I won't be late. I promise."

"Sofie... You've been sick a lot lately. Do you think you should see a doctor?"

"A doctor? For an upset stomach?... Karen, you worry too much. I'm fine. It's just a bug. It'll pass."

Sofie takes the clothes from Karen and turns for the bedroom.

"I'll make you some tea and toast while you get ready. You'll need something in your stomach." Karen goes down the hall to the kitchen and Sofie rushes to get ready.

After ten more minutes Sofie comes into the kitchen wearing black slacks and a light blue blouse. Her hair pulled up in a loose bun and her makeup perfectly done.

Karen smiles and hands Sofie toast and tea in a to go mug. "Eat quickly. I have a car outside for you. You'll need to leave in 5 minutes."

"Thank you Karen. I've got it from here."

"I'm supposed to see you to the school."

Sofie rolls her eyes. "I've only ever been late to school twice and she's lost all faith."

"You know how she is. She just wants to make sure you're the best you can be."

Sofie grabs her bag and heads for the door. Karen follows.

Once in the car Karen tries to find a way to bring up a sensitive subject. "Dauntless is coming for another meeting with Jeannine today."

"Do you think Eric will be there?" Sofie asks with a little too much enthusiasm.

"I don't know. Eric hasn't been to a meeting in awhile. Jeannine is getting annoyed... Do you know why he would stay away?"

"How should I know?" Sofie says looking back out of the window.

"I... saw Eric walking back to the apartment building with you that one night... Did something happen?"

Sofie quickly looks at Karen and struggles to keep the look of surprise and fear from her face. "Eric came across me when I was running and offered to walk me back. That's all that happened."

"Sofie... that was the last time he came to Erudite. Something had to have happened."

Sofie looks back to the window. "Nothing happened."

Karen's voice becomes a little more insistant knowing they're not far from the school. "It's been 4 weeks since that night. He hasn't come back to Erudite and you've had an upset stomach quite a bit."

"And?"

Karen sets her hand on Sofie's arm. "Sofie I hate to ask and please know my concern is only for your safety... is there a chance... you're pregnant?"

"Karen!"

"Well is there?"

Sofie doesn't answer and just stares into Karen's eyes not knowing what to say.

Karen nods in understanding. "Why don't you come to my apartment after work later. We can do a test... just to be sure."

Sofie gives her a concerned look.

"I promise I won't tell Jeannine. It'll be ok."

* * *

My apologies for not having Eric in this chapter. I promise he'll have a nice part in the next one.

Thanks for reading!

-MS

* * *

**Hey guys. I was thinking after I posted this chapter that it might be fun to play a little game.

SO I'm going to ask a question after each chapter and your answers will determine how the story goes. Sound good?

In the next chapter should Sofie:

Find out she's pregnant

Find out she's not pregnant

Not find out yet


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for taking so long. I wrote this chapter a few times but everything sounded like crap so I kept starting over.

Hopefully this one doesn't disappoint.

Enjoy!

* * *

"These things aren't always right you know. Sometimes they give false positives. We'll go visit a friend of mine at the hospital tomorrow to find out for sure."

Sofie says nothing as she stares down at the test.

"What will you do if it's true?" Karen sits next to Sofie on the couch.

"I hadn't really thought about it."

"Will you keep it?" Karen asks as gently as she can manage.

"I... " Sofie begins but stands and walks across the room. "My mother wouldn't approve. No matter the result I will not have it."

"What about Eric? Will you tell him."

Sofie shakes her head. "I won't burden him with this embarrassment. "

"Well now that sounds like Jeannine talking.." Karen walks over to Sofie. "What do _you_ want Sofie?"

Sofie shakes her head.

Karen sighs and rubs Sofie's back. "Let's find out what they say tomorrow then we'll figure out what to do. No matter what it'll be ok. I'll help you through it."

Sofie starts to tear up when she thinks about Jeannine finding out and she runs out onto the balcony to be alone.

Once the door is shut behind her she places a hand over her mouth and begins to sob.

...

Tia sits on the couch with a bag of chips flipping through the Erudite cameras on Eric's tablet. She stops when she sees Sofie on the balcony. "Eric! Your Erudite's having a meltdown!" Tia yells across the room.

Eric hurries out of the bedroom and grabs the tablet from Tia's hand. "What happened?"

"How should I know?." She says while licking her fingers clean.

Eric gives her a look. "Isn't it about time you leave?"

Tia smiles. "Probably... but I'm not."

Eric rolls his eyes then takes a seat on the couch next to her keeping his eyes glued to the screen.

Tia tosses the half full bag of chips to the coffee table then curls up against Eric with her head on his chest.

"She is sorta cute... well, not right now with the crying and everything."

"Tia." Eric says as a warning.

"What? I think she'd be fun to play with." Tia slides her hand under his shirt and rubs his chest. "Maybe next time she comes for a visit you could..." Tia kisses his neck. "Introduce us." She kisses his neck again then glances at the screen. Sofie is sitting on a patio chair with her knees pulled to her chest. Tia rolls her eyes. "Watch her as she does nothing if you want but..." Tia slides down so her knees are on the floor then reaches up and undoes his pants. "I plan on being a distraction."

...

"Eric! Here I thought you were avoiding me." Jeannine greets Eric in the hallway outside of her office.

"I'm sorry I haven't been to your meetings. I've been busy with Dauntless duties."

Jeannine smiles. "Is that so?... Well let's go into my office. We have a lot to discuss."

Eric follows Jeannine into her office. Karen shuts the door once Eric is in.

Jeannine takes a seat at her desk and sets a folder down. Eric stays standing.

"Please, take a seat." Jeannine motions to a chair across from her desk.

She waits until he's sitting before continuing. "Eric, I'm glad you came alone today. There's something I would like to discuss with you." Jeannine leans back in her chair and folds her hands in her lap. "I'm going to cut to the chase. I know you have been seeing my daughter."

"Jeannine.." Eric is caught off guard and quickly tries to think of a lie.

"Don't." Jeannine holds up her hand to stop Eric. "I knew there was something going on when you stopped coming to Erudite but I have to say I was pretty surprised by the answer. Not only is Sofie Erudite but she is my daughter. Are you trying to turn her against me?"

"Of course not. I didn't even know she was your daughter at first. When I found out I ended it."

"You ended it?" Jeannine raises an eyebrow.

"Yes m'am."

"Of course you did... but unfortunately the damage was already done."

Eric adjusts in his seat. "I hope I haven't lost your confidence..."

"That's not what I'm talking about." She says interrupting him. Jeannine sighs. "Sofie's pregnant."

Eric's jaw drops and his face turns pale white. "How... did..."

Jeannine puts her glasses on and picks up the folder. "Karen and another assistant have been keeping an eye on Sofie for me since she came to work here. Karen has kept a detailed journal of Sofie's comings and goings and reports them to me weekly. I have one page here that tells of a run Sofie took around the same time you left after our last meeting. Since that was the last time you came to Erudite I pulled the video footage and saw you two running together. The video also shows you carrying her into an abandoned building." Jeannine slides the folder to Eric.

Eric picks up the folder and scans through the entries. The last page is dated for the previous day and Eric quickly reads a detailed description of how Sofie found out.

When finished with the page he sets the folder back on the desk but keeps his eyes on the floor. His face is expressionless but he is struggling to keep his composure. There is not much Eric is afraid of but at the moment he fears for his life. People that cross Jeannine often don't live long.

Jeannine removes her glasses and sets them on the desk. "Eric, you have really proven yourself over the last couple of years and I would hate for this to ruin our relationship so I am going to fix this for you."

Eric slowly looks up. "Fix it?"

"Yes. Karen is going to take her to the hospital later for an offical test. I'll have the nurse give her something that will abort the fetus and she will tell Sofie that she was never pregnant to begin with. Everything will be back to the waynit was."

"You would get rid of it just like that?"

"Of course. It would just cause problems for us and I need both you and Sofie to be focused."

Eric is still in shock and just nods.

"Well, I'm glad we could work this out." Jeannine stands. "But Eric?" Jeannine's tone gets very serious. "Don't cross me again. I won't be as forgiving."

Eric stands and again just nods then he shows himself out of the office.

Karen smiles from behind her desk as he exits the office. "Have a great day!"

Eric just stares at her and resists the urge to jump across the desk and rip her throat out for betraying Sofie's trust.

On the way out of the building Eric sees Sofie approaching. He looks around to see if there's a way to avoid her but decides that would be cowardice so he stays put.

When she finally sees him she has a look of terror which is immediately masked with a fake smile.

Eric opens his mouth to greet her when she's just a few steps away but nothing comes out.

Sofie keeps the fake smile when she greets him. "Hello Eric. I hope you're doing well."

"Yeah." Eric says in a flat tone. "And you?"

Sofie's fake smile gets wider. "Oh I'm great! Couldn't be better!"

Eric's stomach turns knowing what she's hiding. "Glad to hear it." He lies.

"Well, uh, I gotta go. See you soon?" She asks while inching away from him.

Not knowing the answer Eric stays silent.

"Ok.. well... bye." Sofie turns and rushes off.

Eric watches as she enters the headquarters. He looks at her with pitty now knowing the reason for her breakdown the night before.

He turns and runs as fast as he can to the train.

* * *

Thank you to all who participated in the game!

Here's the next question...

What should Eric do, if anything, about Jeannine's plans for Sofie and the baby?


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys- Here's a half chapter for you while we wait for some more responses.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

Tia enters the gym and finds Eric attacking the punching bag. His knuckles are already split from throwing punch after punch. She slowly walks up to him. "Eric, what's wrong?... Is it Sofie?"

Eric doesn't pause when he answers. "Sofie's pregnant." He says between punches.

Tia stands stunned with her mouth open for a second before replying. "Is it... yours?"

Eric gives her a look then turns back to the bag. "Jeannine wants to abort it and not tell Sofie."

"What a piece of work!" Tia looks at Eric for a sign of agreement but there is none. "Well... what do you think?"

"It's none of my business."

"It is yours Eric!"

"I'm not exactly the dad type Tia!"

"What about Sofie?"

"What about her?"

"Don't you think she should know?"

"Jeannine will make her life a living hell if she kept it. It's best this way."

"Shouldn't that be her choice?!"

Eric says nothing and keeps hitting the bag.

"Eric, look at me."

He ignores her.

"Eric!"

Still nothing.

Tia huffs and jumps in front of the bag.

Eric just barely misses her with the punch he was throwing.

He growls at the interruption then pulls back and throws a punch at Tia.

Tia blocks the punch then throws one at his side connecting with his ribs.

Eric grunts and before he can throw another punch Tia rushes him and tackles him to the floor.

They wrestle for several minutes before Tia successfully has him pinned in a headlock.

"Tia!" He yells while struggling against her.

"Stop being an idiot Eric!"

"Get off!"

"Not until you agree to do something!"

"It's none of my business!"

Tia responds by tightening her grip on his neck.

"Tia!"

"Come on Eric! You can't fight me forever!" She tightens her grip a llittle more.

Eric begins to black out and finally gives in. "Alright!"

Tia lets go and pushes him to the ground before standing. "Now was that so hard!"

Eric lays on the ground coughing. "I don't know why you care anyway."

"I care because I don't want you to make a stupid mistake you're going to regret later."

Eric pushes himself up. "I don't know what you expect me to do. You know what it means to go against Jeannine."

"I expect you to grow a set and man up! Are you Dauntless or Erudite?"

Eric shakes his head. "Tia, I don't know why I put up with you."

Tia smiles. "Well someone needs to give you a dose of reality every now and then."

* * *

So, what would you like to see next? :-)


	11. Chapter 11

Hello again- I can't sleep tonight so here's another half chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"Hey Sofie. We need to talk." Eric says as he walks over to Sofie in the waiting room.

Sofie stands when she sees him but Karen steps in beteeen them. "Eric if you have Erudite business I think it best if you speak to Jeannine."

"It's not... no." He looks past Karen to Sofie. ". I need to talk to you about something else."

"This isn't really the best time." Sofie finally says.

"It's important."

"Eric, you need to leave." Karen says still standing between them.

"Sofie Matthews?" A nurse calls from the doorway.

"Eric, I need to go. We can talk later." She takes a couple steps in the direction of the nurse.

"That'll be too late. We need to talk now." He says following her.

"Sofie Matthews?" The nurse calls out again.

"I need to go." She turns to the nurse.

Eric grabs her arm. "You can either come with me willingly or I can throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here kicking and screaming. I doubt anyone could stop me." He says the last bit to Karen.

Sofie huffs. "Damn Dauntless." She looks to the nurse. "I'm sorry. I'll be back in a minute." She follows Eric out of the waiting room. Once outside he leads her to the side of the building where it is empty."Well?"

Eric paces in front of her. "Sofie... I know."

"You know what?"

"I..." He pauses.

Sofie shifts impatiently. "Eric I don't have time for this."

He walks to her and grabs her shoulders firmly. "I know why you're here at the hospital." Sofie gives him a confused and concerned look. "Come to Dauntless. They can do the test there."

"Eric, I... how did you know?"

He lets go of her shoulders and takes a half step back. "It's not important. Come to Dauntless. It'll be safer." He holds out his hand for her to take.

"Safer? Than what? Erudite?"

"I'd rather not go into it right now. Just please come with me. With any luck it won't be positive and this mess can be over. If it is positive we can take care of that too."

"Take care of it?" Sofie steps back. "Eric, I haven't made a decision one way or the other yet."

Eric sighs. "We can talk about that later." He holds out his hand again. "Come on."

Sofie doesn't take his hand and just stares at him.

"You can trust me."

Sofie hesitantly takes his hand. Eric smiles.

"Sofie?" They both look over in horror to see Jeannine standing there.


	12. Chapter 12

Here's one more small chapter for you.

Let me know what you guys would like to see next.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

"Mom... I... what are you doing here?"

"Karen called me very concerned. What's going on here?"

Eric steps forward. "I was on my way to see you when I ran into Sofie."

"To see me? We didn't have a meeting today."

"I know... I had some ideas for our upcoming project that I wanted to discuss with you."

Jeannine just stares at him.

"Is it ok if I go to Dauntless with Eric? I need to recalbrate their new chair." Sofie says trying to get the attention off of Eric.

"Someone else can go. I need you focused on your work."

"There's nothing more I can do with the new serum tonight. I promise my trip will be quick."

Jeannine thinks for a moment then nods. "Take Karen with you. I want you both back before nightfall."

Knowing there's no point in arguing with her Sofie just says "Yes m'am"

"Have Karen call for a car. Wait out front." Sofie looks to Eric for a second then walks to the front of the building,

Jeannine turns to Eric. "Eric, you should call ahead so someone is there to escort Sofie and Karen."

Eric gives her a confused look. "I can take them."

"You will be too busy with our meeting."

Eric just nods.

"Sofie! There you are! I was worried." Karen runs over to Sofie once she's near the front of the building.

"You didn't have to callJeannine. I was fine."

"How was I supposed to know? Eric practically dragged you out of there. I was worried."

"He wouldn't hurt me."

"He's Dauntless. You don't know what he'd do."

Sofie shakes her head. "Jeannine wants you to call for a car so we can go to Dauntless."

"Dauntless? Why?"

"I need to recalibrate their new chair."

"Oh...what about the test?" Karen whispers the last part.

"We can do it tomorrow."

Karen smiles. "Ok... give me just a minute. I'll be right back." She walks away to call for a car.

Sofie turns back to see Jeannine and Eric walking away. Eric looks at Sofie and gives her a weak smile.

"Ok, all set. The car will be here in just a minute."

"Karen, Jeannine seems angry... Does she know anything?"

"She... no! How could she? I didn't say anything. You didn't say anything did you?"

"Of course not."

"You know how she feels about other faction leaders just showing up. I'm sure that's all it is."

"Yeah... I hope you're right."


	13. Chapter 13

"Hi, I'm Tia. Eric told me to show you in." She greets Karen and Sofie as they exit their car.

Karen gives a big smile and shakes her hand. "Hi, I'm Karen." Sofie gives a nod but no greeting. Karen gives an uncomfortable laugh. "This is Sofie. You'll have to excuse her. She's not feeling well today."

Tia leads them inside in silence. Karen keeps her uncomfortable smile on not liking the idea of being in the Dauntless compound. Sofie keeps a straight face with her thoughts on Eric.

"Here we are. I hope this won't take too long." Tia steps to the side and crosses her arms.

Sofie keeps her silence as they walk into the simulation room and she goes straight to the computer.

A half hour later Sofie is done pretending to be busy with the simulation chair and stands. "I'm done. We can leave." She walks for the door.

On the way out of the room Karen stumbles and has to use the wall to keep from falling.

"What's wrong with you?" Tia asks with irritation in her voice as she walks past her.

"I uh.." Karen stumbles again and this time falls unconscious on the floor.

This gets Sofie's attention and she rushes to her side. She quickly checks her pulse and her breathing. "We need to get her to the infirmary!" She says in a panic.

Tia walks over and begins to lift Karen up by her shoulders. "Grab her feet."

Sofie quickly pulls the rest of Karen off of the floor and Tia leads her over to the simulation chair where they set her down.

"What are you doing? We need to get her to the infirmary!"

Tia ignores her and heads for the door. "Follow me."

"Where?"

"The infirmary."

"Shouldn't we get Karen?"

"She'll be fine. Come on. We need to hurry." Tia grabs Sofie by the arm and pulls her out of the room.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm doing as I'm told. Now let's go!"

Sofie glances back at Karen the follows Tia. "Told by who? Eric?"

Tia rolls her eyes and keeps walking.

Sofie follows her all the way to a private room in the infirmary. "Tia I'm really worried about Karen."

"Like I said she'll be fine. Sit."

Sofie hesitates then Tia grabs her arm and yanks her into the chair. "Are you going to tell me why we're here?" Sofie asks getting concerned.

Tia again ignores her. She goes to the sink and washes her hands then prepares a needle with an empty vile attached. She grabs a tourniquet and wraps it around Sofie's arm.

"Tia?"

Tia uses an alcohol wipe to clean the skin then taps until she finds a vein. Sofie looks away and closes her eyes when Tia inserts the needle.

"Alright I'm done. Stay here."

Sofie stands to protest but becomes lightheaded and falls to the floor.

"Stupid Erudite." Tia pulls her up by her arm and walks her over to the bed. "Now stay."

Unable to protest Sofie just lays there.

Tia walks out into the hallway and Sofie can hear talking but can't make it out. When Tia comes back in she takes a seat on the other side of the room but doesn't say anything.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Sofie pleads.

"Eric called and asked me to run a pregnancy test on you. It'll take another hour or so before it's processed."

Sofie blushes. "I didn't realize... and Karen?"

"I drugged her."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

Tia shrugs. "I don't particularly like you."

"But we just met."

Tia stays silent.

"So... you're friends with Eric?"

Tia gives an awkward grin. "... something like that."

"Oh.. so you're... together?" Sofie asks awkwardly.

"Not exactly."

They sit in silence for awhile. "You don't have to stay here with me. You can just come back when the results are in."

"Eric told me to stay with you."

"Oh."

A few more minutes of awkward silence.

"Why is Eric doing this? I could get a test at Erudite."

Tia stays silent.

"Eric said something about Dauntless being safer. What did he mean by that?"

"It means that if anyone goes against him here he'll just kill them. He doesn't have that privilege in Erudite."

More silence.

"How did he know anyway?"

"Jeannine told him."

Sofie jumps to the edge of the bed. "Jeannine knows?!"

Tia grins at her discomfort. "I guess you weren't as sly as you thought."

"But... how did she? The only person that knew was Karen and she wouldn't..." Sofie pauses to process the knew information.

"Stupid Erudite." Tia say under her breath.

Sofie shakes her head. "I can't believe it. I thought we were friends."

"I'd be more worried about Jeannine."

Sofie drops her head in her hands. "I bet she's so mad." After a moment Sofie sits up and looks at Tia. "Is that what Eric meant when he said Dauntless was safer? Was that because of Jeannine?"

Tia shifts uncomfortably in her chair. "You need to talk to Eric about that."

"Is Jeannine planning something?" Sofie pushes.

"Like I said... you need to talk to Eric... now shut it. Eric said I had to stay with you. He said nothing about me having to talk to you."

Sofie sighs and leans back in the bed. They spend the remainder of the hour in silence.

After the hour is up a nurse walks into the room with a chart and hands it to Tia then walks out.

Sofie sits on the edge of the bed waiting for Tia to talk.

Tia sighs. "You're pregnant."

Sofie turns white.

Tia rushes over and pushes her back so she's laying. "Damn Erudite. I've never seen someone change colors so fast."

Sofie tears up but doesn't say anything.

"Well?" Tia asks.

Sofie gives her a confused look.

"You going to keep it?"

Sofie's tears start running down her cheeks. "Jeannine' s going to kill me." She sobs.

"No. Not you." Tia says without thinking.

"What?" Sofie manages between sobs.

Realizing her mistake Tia walks towards the door. "Come on. Let's go. We should get to Karen before she wakes."

Sofie doesn't argue and follows Tia. She uses her shirt sleeve to wipe her tears away and tries to hide her pain in front of the Dauntless they pay pass.

Once back to the simulation room they see Karen is still unconscious in the chair.

Tia walks over and breaks something under Karen's nose. Karen jumps forward. "What... what happened?"

"You blacked out." Tia says with a hint of irritation.

Karen looks to Sofie and gives her a concerned look.

Sofie struggles to keep her anger in check now knowing Karen betrayed her. She finds it in herself to give Karen a smile then she helps her to stand. "You had us worried."

"How long was I out?" Karen asks while using Sofie's arm for support.

"About an hour... are you ok to walk? Jeannine will be expecting us soon."

Karen gives her a weak smile and nods then Sofie helps her out to the car.

Once at the car Sofie turns to Tia. "Thank you."

Karen gives her a confused look but Sofie ignores her.

Tia nods then looks to something behind Sofie and gives a small smile. Sofie glances in the direction Tia is looking and sees Eric walking towards them.

Sofie is relieved that he's ok and tries to think of what she's going to say but she doesn't have the chance. Eric walks right past them into the building with only a passing glance.

Sofie gives Tia a concerned look.

Tia's expression softens and she puts her hand on Sofie's shoulder. "Have a safe drive back." With that Tia turns back to the building.

Once in the car Karen questions Sofie. "What was that about?"

"What?" Sofie asks playing dumb.

Karen sighs. "I know you're worried that we didn't do the test today but we can do it first thing in the morning. There's no reason to worry. I'll be with you the whole time."

Sofie looks at Karen and wants nothing more than to tear her throat out but she hides her feelings and gives Karen a smile. "Thanks for being a good friend."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Comments/critiques greatly appreciated!

More comments means quicker updates :-)

Would you guys like the next chapter to be about how Sofie deals with Jeannine, Karen, and the hospital visit

OR about Eric's meeting with Jeannine (may just be Eric talking to Tia about it and not the actual scene)

OR you can suggest an alternative next chapter.

I have some free time tomorrow evening so if there's enough interest I may post another chapter then.

-THANKS FOR READING!-


	14. Chapter 14

"Please don't tell Jeannine I fainted at Dauntless. She won't like it." Karen begs Sofie as they approach the Erudite

Sofie smiles. "Of course. What are friends for."

Karen and Sofie head back into the Erudite headquarters and go up to Jeannine's office. Jeannine requests anyone who visits another faction report to her directly after their visit.

"How was your Dauntless trip?" Jeannine asks just barely glancing up from her work.

Karen steps forward with a smile. "It went well. Sofie had to spend some extra time on the chair which is what took us so long."

"Is that correct Sofie?" Jeannine gives her a questioning look.

"Yes m'am."

"Were there any problems or is there anything worth reporting?"

"No m'am. No problems at all."

Jeannine nods. "Thank you for handling their issue so quickly. You both can leave now but Sofie, please come to my office at 8 tomorrow morning."

"Is everything ok?"

"It will be." Jeannine goes back to her work.

...

After working in the lab for another couple hours Sofie heads home and takes a nice long shower before changing into her night clothes. When hanging up her jacket a piece of paper falls to the floor. "1120, 3rd car."

Sofie glances at the clock then slowly sits on her bed. She has a little over an hour to find a way to get out of the apartment without Jeannine knowing.

She goes to her bedroom door and glances down the hallway. The light is on in Jeannine's lab which is on the way to the front door. She'll have to find a way to distract Jeannine or find a way to get her to go to bed.

Sofie thinks for a moment then smiles. She walks to her night stand and pulls a bottle of sleeping pills out of her top drawer.

She spends some time crushing a couple pills into a powder then puts on water to boil.

She waits for the whistle then prepares two cups. One with the powder and one without.

She takes a deep breath, picks up both mugs and makes her way to the lab.

She knocks on the door and waits.

"Come in."

Sofie slowly opens the door and struggles to keep her nervousness hidden. She puts on a smile. "I made some tea and thought you might want some."

Jeannine returns a smile. "Oh honey, that's very sweet of you but I'm good."

Sofie ignores her and sets the tea down. "It's decaf. I know you don't like to be up all night.." She takes a step back. "Well, I'm going to read for a bit before . See you in the morning."

She takes the 2nd cup of tea back to her room and waits by the door.

Twenty minutes pass quickly. She looks at the clock and knows she can't wait anymore so she grabs her cup of tea and tip toes down the hallway to the lab. She very gently and slowly opens the door and peaks in. Jeannine is leaning forward with her head on the desk.

"Mom?" Sofie calls out to see if Jeannine is really out.

Sofie quickly replaces her cup of tea with an untainted cup and rushes out of the apartment. She has five minutes to make the train.

She runs a few blocks to where she can catch the train. She makes it just before it arrives.

She tries to remember what Eric told her. She begins to run before the train is to her and counts the cars as they pass. When she reaches the third car she grabs the handle and jumps up on the step. She hits the button and the door slides open.

As soon as the door opens Eric is there to pull her in.

"Thank you." She says out of breath.

"You're getting better at it."

"Yeah well it's not like I have a choice."

Eric takes a moment to look at her. "It's good to see you Sofie."

She gives him an uneasy smile. "You talked to Tia?"

Eric nods.

Sofie leans against the wall.

Eric leans against the wall next to her.

After a moment of awkward silence Sofie asks "Eric, why did you want me to come here?"

...

In the morning Sofie heads up to Jeannine's for their meeting.

Karen gives her a smile as she walks past.

When she walks in she sees Eric sitting across the desk. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were busy. I'll come back." Sofie takes a step back.

"No, it's ok. We were just waiting for you." Jeannine gives her a smile. "Please, have a seat." She motions to the empty seat next to Eric.

Sofie takes a breath and does her best to calm her nerves. She takes a seat next to Eric. Eric keeps his eyes focused straight ahead and doesnt look at her.

"Thank you both for coming. Sofie, as you know Eric and I had a meeting yesterday. I would like to go over with you what was discussed." Jeannine sits straight as a board and has her hands resting on a folder on her desk. "I'd like to get straight to the point. I know that you've been seeing Eric. As you know, the factions have strict rules against fraternizing with someone outside of your faction. Since you havent been through the choosing ceremony though this can be forgiven. There is one thing though that can't be as easily swept under the rug. Eric tells me there's a good chance you are pregnant. If you are indeed pregnant that could cause problems for both Erudite as well as Dauntless. We cannot threaten our way of life because of one mistake." Jeannine taps the folder under her hands. "You are almost an adult and though it would be easy for me to tell you what to do I think the choice should be yours." Jeannine slides the folder across the table to Sofie. "Sofie, if is your choice to keep the child there will be some conditions because of the risk involved. I have written up a contract for you and Eric. If either of you break the contract I will have no choice but to get rid of the child. You and Eric will..."

Sofie interrupts.. "Thank you for your generosity m'am but this won't be necessary." She slides the folder back to Jeannine. "I have already taken care of the problem. I went this morning. Here is the paperwork." Sofie pulls the papers out of her bag and hands them to Jeannine.

Jeannine reads over the medical documents closely.

"I know how important the project is to you and I didn't want any distractions. There will be plenty of time for a family later."

When Jeannine is done reading she sets down the papers. "I'm not normally taken by surprise. I am glad to see you are dedicated to our faction system and are willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good of that system." Jeannine stands. "Well, I am glad this worked out. Thank you both for coming."

Sofie and Eric both stand to leave.

"Eric, Karen will show you out. Sofie, stay for a moment please." Eric walks out of the office without saying a word. "Sofie, you really impressed me today. You have really grown up. You have proven to me that you are no longer a child. I think it's time I share more of my work with you. Would you like that?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good. Schedule a time with Karen for us to meet."

"Yes m'am. Thank you."

...

Sofie goes to her lab and waits. A half hour passes and when she's sure it's safe she heads for the door.

She walks a few blocks away and turns down an alley.

"Were you followed?" Eric asks while looking down the alley.

"I didnt see anyone." She says looking back.

"You think she bought it?" Eric asks pulling her to the side.

"I think so... but with Jeannine who knows."

Eric pulls her close. "I know that was hard."

Sofie wraps her arms around him. "We're not going to get away with this. We can only lie for so long. Eventually she's going to notice."

Eric rubs her back. "For now just make sure to keep the pills my friend gave you for morning sickness close. We'll worry about everything else later."

Sofie looks up at him. "I cant believe you came up with all of this on your own."

"I didnt."

Sofie leans back. "What do you mean?"

"Tia came up with most of it."

"Tia? But she hates me."

Eric shakes his head. "That's just her. She puts on a front but she's soft... just don't get on her bad side" He smiles. "She sorta threatened harm to my privates if I didnt go along with it."

Sofie smiles. "Make sure to thank her for me."

Eric pulls her in for a kiss. "You should get back before they start to wonder."

Sofie nods. "See you soon."

* * *

I hope you guys like where the story is going. Let me know if you'd like to see something different.

SO... do you think Jeannine bought it? :-)

THANKS FOR READING!


	15. Author's note

Hey guys,

No new chapter yet but I did add 500 words to chapter 14.

Enjoy!


End file.
